Oscar-winning Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso,” “Ennio”) is set to direct “The First Dollar” a biopic of Bank of America founder Amedeo Peter Giannini who, besides pioneering modern banking, supported Hollywood’s emerging film industry.
Born into a family of Italian immigrants in San Jose, California, Giannini in 1904 started the Bank of Italy in San Francisco that later became Bank of America. He became known for pioneering modern banking practices such as branch banking and loan financing for everyday people.
